Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United Nations

At the Third Committee

Of the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

On AgendaÂ Item 64

â€œPromotion and Protection of the Rights of Childrenâ€

New York

Mr. Chairman,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, please allow me to thank the Secretary-General for his recent reports on the rights of children. I would like to further express my appreciation for the report of the

Special Representatives of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and Violence Against Children.

Mr. Chairman,

In Afghan tradition, each child is considered to be a blessing. The government of

Afghanistanâ€™s continued efforts to strengthen national policy to promote and protect the rights of children reflect the Afghan value of honouring our children, which is pitted in the very roots of our culture.

Sadly, we continue to face challenges to protecting the rights of Afghan children due to the grave impacts of thirty years of war, destruction and terrorism. Their lives are all too often defined by the ongoing violence and danger, which have been the backdrop of their entire existences. Not only have the children of Afghanistan endured the harsh physical effects of war such as serious injuries, disabilities, hunger, dehydration, lack of medical care, and devastatingly, even death; but they must face the detrimental psychological effects of growing up in wartime, which result from witnessing horrendous acts of violence, losing parents and loved ones, post-traumatic stress, and living in constant fear and poverty.

Mr. Chairman,

Despite all this, the resilience of the children of Afghanistan shines through. The children of our country yearn for their educations. Enrollment rates in schools have increased to 71% this year. Around 37% of the 7 million Afghan students are girls.Â Merely ten years ago, under the Taliban, girls were not allowed to go to school and were forbidden from working. Today Afghan boys and girls have equal access to education. 4,500 new schools have been built in the past 8 years, over 22 million textbooks have been delivered, and the number of teachers has grown exponentially. We must continue our efforts to address the gender gap in literacy as well as in education in rural areas and in higher education, but it is certain that we have come a long way toward improving access and gender equality in education.

Afghanistan has made efforts to improve access to healthcare for its children. Basic healthcare in Afghanistan has increased from 9% coverage of the population in 2003 to nearly 90% this year. Polio has been nearly eradicated in Afghanistan, and our national immunization campaign is in full swing. Infant and under five mortality rates have improved significantly in the last year. However, we still have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and 50% of our children remain underweight and under-nourished. Going forward, we must take into account the link between womenâ€™s education, maternal health, and childrenâ€™s health and mortality.

Mr. Chairman,

The issue of childrenâ€™s rights and well-being are inextricably linked to security. The main challenge to upholding international standards of childrenâ€™s rights in Afghanistan lies in the danger of those who do not recognize the importance of the rights of children. Hundreds of Afghan schools have been burned or destroyed by terrorist groups.Â Disrupting access to schools has been a major element of Taliban strategy. Just a few months ago, deadly nerve gases were released in Afghan schools, poisoning hundreds of innocent students and teachers, and targeting girls.Â We believe the Taliban are responsible for these horrendous attacks.Â The Talibanâ€™s targeting of young students as well as their use of children for suicide bombings and recruitment of children as listed in the report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict from 13 April 2010, reflects their disregard for international standards of childrenâ€™s rights, and in fact the tradition of Afghan culture itself which recognizes the preciousness of each and every childâ€™s life.

The government of Afghanistan will continue to assist the Secretary-Generalâ€™s efforts to protect schools as zones of peace through monitoring and reporting mechanisms for these violations against children.

Mr. Chairman,

In a war-torn country like Afghanistan, a major impediment to protecting childrenâ€™s rights is the challenge of enforcing rule of law. Issues such as fighting impunity and addressing grave acts of violence, or sexual abuse take time and need the support of the international community in order to maintain security in the country throughout the process.

The government of Afghanistan holds strong to its enduring commitment to protecting the rights of children under our constitution, and by international conventions and agreements to which we are a party, such as Security Council resolutions 1612 and 1882, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two optional protocols.Â We have supported the recent creation of monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and further support UNAMAâ€™s addition of Child Protection Officers on staff, and the inclusion of child protection issues in the mandates of UNAMA and ISAF. We appreciate deeply the generous assistance we have received from the international community in supporting our relentless efforts to promote the protection of childrenâ€™s rights and needs, as mapped out in our National Strategy on Children at Risk.

I am pleased to report that we have implemented a high-level Steering Committee of all relevant ministries and authorities of the government to interact with the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting, to develop an action plan for effective and timely responses to problems faced by children in armed conflict. Furthermore, the government created a Commission to oversee the needs of children and juveniles, and we are currently working with civil society and religious leaders to address sexual violence, which is contrary to both national law and Islamic values.

Mr. Chairman,

The efforts we put forth toward helping children are an investment in the future of our countries and world. Â Today, we reaffirm our commitment to creating an environment in which all children can move beyond the struggle to survive violence, overcome poverty, or fight for their health and educational opportunities, and can excel through realizing their human potential.

Afghanistan attaches great importance to advancing the rule of law at both the national and international levels.Â Â We believe this is an issue which is essential for promoting international peace and security, good governance, sustainable development, social progress and human rights for all. The United Nations, in accordance to the provisions of the Charter, must play a central role in leading, promoting and coordinating international efforts towards this purpose.

In this regard, my delegation welcomes the recent dialogue initiated by the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group and the Rule of Law Unit with Member States on the topic of “Promotion of the Rule of Law at the International level” and we welcome their efforts in ensuring the overall coordination and coherence on UN engagement in the field of capacity building in post-conflict countries. We call for continuation of dialogue to keep Member States abreast of UN activities that foster the Rule of Law at the national and international and national levels.

Madam Chair,

Two-decades of incessant armed conflicts and violence led to the destruction of our state institutions. Those which continued to operate carried out their duties with minimal capacity and resources. Among those which were severely affected include our rule of law and justice sectors.

Nevertheless, Madame Chair, since 2001 Afghanistan has come a long way in consolidating the rule of law throughout the country. Our constitution, which was adopted in 2001, serves as the supreme law in the country.Â It is the very foundation upon which we established our democratic institutions, including the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary bodies, and a vibrant civil society, which is a strong advocate for promoting the rule of law and human rights in the country.

To improve the Rule of Law at the national level, the Government of Afghanistan, supported by the International community, has taken necessary steps to develop the human and institutional capacity of the justice sector, increase access to justice-particularly for women, improve good governance, combat corruption and strengthen our National Security Forces to ensure security and protect the rights of all citizens.

Building on the Kabul Conference commitments, the Government of Afghanistan, with the support of its international partners, is taking additional steps to enhancing the Rule of Law at the national level. We are working to:

Improve access to the delivery of justice throughout Afghanistan and enacting the draft Criminal Procedure Code along with preparation commentaries on Civil and Penal Codes.

Improve provision of legal aid services.

Align the National Priority of Law and Justice with the National Justice Programme and the National Justice Sector Policy.

Complete the informal justice strategy in alignment with the National Justice Sector Strategy.

Establish the statutory basis for the Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) and the Anti-Corruption Tribunal (Special Courts).

Submit a law audit meeting international standards.

Establish a legal review committee to review Afghan laws for compliance with the United Nations Convention including the Convention Against Corruption.

Finalize the National Priority Programme for Human Rights and Civic Responsibilities, with the support of AIHRC and civil society.

Initiate a strategy for long-term electoral reform.

The International Community, including the United Nations, donor Countries and non-governmental organizations are making important contributions to help the Government of Afghanistan to restore and improve our justice system, and advance the rule of law throughout the country.

By the same token, we require the sustained and coordinated support and assistance of our partners, including relevant UN Agencies and NGOs to strengthen our capacity and further strengthen the Rule of Law at the national level.

Madam Chair,

In conclusion, for this debate to be effective we must address the responsibilities of Member States toward their international obligations. We stress the importance of Rule of Law at the international level, as an effective tool for addressing global challenges in promoting democracy, human rights, sustainable development, peaceful co-existence and cooperation among states, fighting international crime and terrorism, and promoting justice and peace for all.

The promotion of Rule of Law at the international level requires Member States to implement the relevant International laws and Treaties to which they are a party. Afghanistan is committed to its obligations in this regard.

We would like to express our gratitude to our partners in the international community,Â relevant UN agencies, NGOs and all who are committed to the plight of the Afghan people and the creation of a world where justice can prevail.

Since its inception in 1997, the UNODC has played an instrumental role in leading the global fight against illicit drugs and international crime. For our part, Afghanistan values the indispensible role of UNODC in supporting our efforts to eliminate the threat of narcotic drugs and other forms of organized crime. This support has been provided in various areas, including capacity building of relevant law-enforcement institutions for effective border-control management, drug-demand-reduction and provision of alternative livelihoods.

Mr. Chairman,

Addressing the threat of narcotic drugs on the security and well-being of our society is among the top priorities of the Afghan government. Given its global and transnational character, defeating this menace will be possible only through a concerted international and regional effort.Â The problem of narcotics is part of a complicated and sophisticated criminal network, from which the people of Afghanistan continue to suffer immensely on a daily basis.

Cognizant of this threat, the Afghan government has taken a number of steps at the national, regional, and international levels for addressing this scourge.Â We are pleased to state that our efforts have yielded important results. With support and assistance from our international partners, we have succeeded in reducing poppy cultivation by 48% this year. We are pleased to see this reflected in UNODCâ€™s 2010 Afghanistan Opium Survey. Additionally, through a comprehensive set of measures, which include strengthened law-enforcement, agricultural development, interdiction, alternative livelihoods, demand-reduction and public awareness, we have maintained twenty poppy-free provinces and are committed to increasing that figure by next year.

Meanwhile, it has become evident that a successful fight against narcotic drugs requires a comprehensive strategy with more focus on addressing the trafficking and consumption dimension of the narcotics problem. More needs to be done by transit and consuming countries to prevent trafficking of chemical precursors, and reduce demand in foreign markets. In this regard, we call for increased measures by member-states to implement Security Council resolution 1817 on combating deliveries of chemical precursors for drug production in Afghanistan.

Mr. Chairman,

The production of illicit drugs is linked to the continuation of terrorist and extremist activity in Afghanistan and our region. The proceeds from narcotic drugs continue to be used as a main source of terrorist funding.Â Like terrorism, the narcotics problem is a threat to stability in our region and beyond. Therefore, given the interdependent link between terrorism and narcotics, these twin challenges must be addressed in tandem with one another .

Aside from security implications, narcotic drugs pose a serious threat to the social fabric of Afghan society. Drug abuse in Afghanistan has increased substantially over the past years.Â Those affected include both youth and adults.Â As indicated in last yearâ€™s â€˜Drug Use in Afghanistan Survey,â€™ â€œ[e]asy access to cheap drugs and limited access to drug treatment, combined with three decades of war-related trauma have resulted in problem drug-use among almost one-million Afghans, roughly 8% of the population between 15-64 years old.â€ Moreover, according to the survey, more than 90% of drug users are in dire need of treatment.Â Currently, 40 structured drug-treatment centers are operational in 21 provinces. In this regard, we underscore the need for sustained international assistance in expanding quantity and quality of â€œdrug-treatment centersâ€ throughout the country.

Mr. Chairman,

Afghanistan attaches special importance to effective regional cooperation for addressing the many challenges facing our region. These include terrorism, extremism, narcotic drugs, and organized crime. In this regard, we continue collaboration with regional countries for a viable solution to these problems. We are working to expand cooperation in various fields, including strengthening of relevant law-enforcement agencies, greater intelligence sharing on terrorist threats, and drawing effective mechanisms to curtail trafficking of chemical precursors and narcotic drugs. We continue to hold bilateral, trilateral, and quadrilateral consultations, and maintain our efforts through other mechanisms and forums, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and South-Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Moreover, in the context of more effective border management, we underscore the need to expedite the recruitment and training of Afghan security forces, including Afghan border and customs police to render a more effective role in preventing the infiltration into Afghan territory of all forms of illegal activity.

Mr. Chairman,

We are thankful to the international community, the UNODC in particular, for its continued support and commitment in addressing the challenges of security, narcotic drugs and organized crime, and achieving a stable and prosperous Afghanistan. Together we have come a long way, but much remains to be accomplished. Â We look forward to our continued partnership to finish the vision we began nine and a half-years ago.